title: Development of a cancellous bone structural model by stereolithography for ultrasound characterisation of the calcaneus.
abstract: A novel method for the development of a user-defined structural model simulating cancellous bone of the human calcaneus is described using stereolithography (SL). The digital image of a cancellous bone section was modified by skeletonisation and dilation to produce a structural model of uniform wall thickness, determined by the resolution of the stereolithography system. Six SL models were produced using the same data file. The SL models were assessed using the McCue CUBAclinical ultrasound bone densitometer. The broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and velocity (VOS) values obtained were commensurate with the commercial phantom provided with the CUBAclinical system. The intra- and inter-sample variability for the six SL models were similar at 5% for BUA and 2.5% for VOS. Stereolithography offers the potential to firstly, simulate perforation and thinning of cancellous bone associated with osteoporosis, and secondly, to evaluate the dependence of ultrasonic and mechanical parameters upon cancellous bone structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University of Hull, U.K.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Langton
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Langton
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Langley
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D015519:Bone Density; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002102:Cadaver; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004548:Elasticity; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008954:Models, Biological; D014463:Ultrasonography